Stanford Cardinal Football News: Regular Season and Preseason Updates

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3/4/15: The template for success at Stanford is pretty simple and traditional: play strong defense, run the ball effectively and finish off opponents with the passing game. But the Cardinal is having difficulty performing on defense in spring practices. The defensive line was already short staffed for a variety of reasons before defensive end Solomon Thomas suffered a foot injury. Additionally, defensive tackle Alex Yazdi has left the program and will transfer somewhere else for his final year of eligibility. That left just three defensive linemen practicing last week, and they may need a few more to actually play the games.

2/25/15: Stanford head coach David Shaw got on his soapbox last week to talk about his strategy in recruiting. Maybe he was tired of hearing fans, alumni and boosters complain that his recruiting class was not good enough (he has only had one class ranked in the top 10 in his five years), or maybe he just wanted to talk. In any case, Shaw described how Stanford looks for the right type of player - the type that will be loyal to the program. Like Michigan State, they target specific recruits rather than blanket the country with offers that may get pulled later if another recruit signs earlier.

2/18/15: A few weeks ago, there was speculation that Stanford's starting QB, Kevin Hogan, was considering transferring out of the program because he was unhappy at the school. The Cardinal got past that and Hogan is staying. However, his backup, Evan Crower, may very well have one foot out the door. He has not gotten much playing time over the years and that figures to continue if he stays. He would be a graduate transfer, so he could play right away without sitting out a year. No word on where he may go, but Michigan has been mentioned.

2/11/15: Recruiting at top ranked academic schools such as Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Stanford has unique challenges that state schools simply do not have to deal with. So the fact that Stanford finished with the 18th ranked recruiting class in 2015 (according to Rivals) is pretty impressive. The Cardinal landed 22 recruits, including one five-star (wide receiver Trent Irvin) and six four-star players. Stanford did a lot to bolster their offensive line with four OL recruits, including four-star Nick Wilson of Alpharetta, Georgia. That seems to be in line with the Cardinal's philosophy of ball control and strong rushing.

2/4/15: Just in time to give the rabid college football fan a final rush before the real offseason is National Signing Day. Stanford again has done pretty well for themselves and ranked as the 18th best class in the country by Rivals at the end of January. The Pac-12 as a whole is doing pretty well with four teams in the top 25. Stanford needs to close well, especially since USC looks to have a top five class this season. One player who stands out right now is wide receiver Trent Irwin, who is a five-star recruit from Newhall, California. With the right QB in place, he may have a big future at Stanford.

1/21/15: Stanford may not have finished with the type of record they wanted last season, but they have some pretty good building blocks in place. More importantly, the Cardinal did not lose much in terms of underclassmen leaving for the NFL. Long time quarterback Kevin Hogan is returning with his 24-8 career record as well as secondary member Wayne Lyons. Lyons was projected as a late round pick, so staying does not really hurt his professional prospects. In any case, the Cardinal should be a tough out next season with veterans in key positions to guide them.

1/14/15: Jim Harbaugh left Stanford in able hands with head coach David Shaw, but that does not mean that Harbaugh is not trying to poach some of his former assistants for his new job at the University of Michigan. He tried to get strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley, but Turley decided to stay in beautiful Northern California rather than the harsh winters of Ann Arbor. Harbaugh is also pursuing the Cardinal's defensive coordinator Lance Anderson. Anderson was on Harbaugh's staff both in San Diego and Palo Alto. Who knows, there may even be more potential posting in Stanford North.

1/7/15: Stanford may not have wanted to be in the Foster Farms Bowl, but that is where they ended up with a 7-5 regular season record. At least is was essentially a home game, as the bowl was played in Santa Clara, California. On the other hand, their opponent, Maryland, had to go over 2,000 miles to get there. Perhaps Maryland should have stayed home as the Cardinal routed the Terrapins 45-21. Stanford literally ran through Maryland, amassing 206 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the day. The win improved the team to 8-5 and getting ready for next season.

12/3/14: Stanford's disappointing regular season ended last Saturday, but at least it ended in the best possible manner for the Cardinal. Playing at UCLA, the Cardinal clobbered the No. 8 ranked Bruins 31-10. The Bruins had been hoping for an outside shot at getting into the College Football Playoffs, but needed the win plus a win in the Pac 12 Championship Game to do so. This loss ensured they would not even make it to the Conference championship game, and, instead, the Bruins will settle for a bowl game. Stanford improved to 7-5 on the season and now waits to find out where they will play in their bowl game.

11/19/14: The Stanford Cardinal continues to struggle, particularly in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal fell to 3-4 in conference with a double overtime loss to visiting Utah, 20-17. As far as college football games go, this was a rather dull affair during regulation, with each team only managing one TD (when did they start playing defense in the Pac-12?). The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first OT. Stanford managed a field goal in OT number two, but Utah answered with the winning touchdown. The Cardinal is 5-5 and needs one more victory to be bowl eligible. That could come this weekend at rival Cal.

11/12/14: The Pac-12 is probably a better conference than most people want to believe - particularly those that believe that the college football world begins and ends with the SEC. The benefit to this is that there is a good chance that the Pac-12 champion will be in the new College Football Playoffs. The downside is that most teams will knock each other out. Stanford has been one of those teams victimized by the conference success. The Cardinal was off last week but is back in action this Saturday against a feisty Utah team that is looking for respect.

11/5/14: Stanford had high hopes for the 2014 season, but clearly this is not the same type of Stanford team as we have seen for the past several years. For the past two years, the Cardinal has doomed Oregon's national title hopes, but could not get it done for a third consecutive time. Oregon routed Stanford 45-16 with a balanced attack. The Cardinal defense simply had no answer for Marcus Mariota this time, who put up almost 350 yards of total offense and four touchdowns alone. Stanford now sits at 5-4 on the season and gets a week to regroup before hosting Utah.

10/29/14: Stanford had little trouble with Pac 12 opponent Oregon State, cruising to a 38-14 win. The Cardinal set the tone early with fourth touchdowns in the first half to put the game out of reach for the visiting Beavers. QB Kevin Hogan was better than his previous effort, throwing for 277 and two scores, as well as running for 39 yards and a touchdown. The two interceptions are concerning, but Stanford had enough to easily get past those mistakes. The Cardinal improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. Next up will be a tougher test when the Cardinal heads to No. 4 Oregon.

10/22/14: The challenging 2014 season continues on for the Stanford Cardinal, who were at No. 17. Arizona State last Saturday. The Sun Devils got off the better start, scoring two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead into halftime. The teams played pretty even the rest of the way, meaning there was not much there for the Cardinal. The offense was struggling all day and totaled less than 300 yards. The loss knocked Stanford to 4-3 on the year and 2-2 in Pac-12 play, as well as booted them out of the Top 25. Stanford is back home this Saturday to host Oregon State.

10/15/14: The Stanford loss to Notre Dame was the second of the season. It dropped the Cardinal all the way down to a 25th place ranking. Stanford is probably better than 25th, but these rankings are always fluid. However, had they lost to Washington State, then they surely would have been out of the top 25. They avoided the upset and improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12, but it was not without an effort by squeaking out a 27-17 victory on Thursday night. While the win may not have been dominant enough to impress the pollsters, it should be considered that it was just five days after playing Notre Dame, which is always tough to do.

10/8/14: Stanford suffered their second loss of the season, dropping their record to 3-2 on the season last Saturday. The No. 14 Cardinal was in West Bend, Indiana to face the No. 9 Fighting Irish, but could not hold on to a late 14-10 lead. Notre Dame scored a touchdown with 1:01 left in regulation. The Cardinal got the ball to mid-field, but the drive stalled. Trying to get into field goal range, QB Kevin Hogan was called for intentional grounding with only a few seconds left, and mandating a 10 second run-off to end the game. Stanford's next game is Friday night at home against Washington State.

10/1/14: The Stanford Cardinal entered their road game at Washington ranked 16th in the country, but with an 0-1 record in Pac-12 play. They were able to escape a close game with the Huskies with a 20-13 win, which required a late winning touchdown and needing the defense to shut out UW for the entire second half. Stanford struggled in throwing the ball as QB Kevin Hogan only managed 178 yards with one TD and one INT. But the overall team running game came through with 186 yards on the ground. It does not get any easier this week as the Cardinal travels to Notre Dame for a premiere matchup.

9/24/14: It is common for powerhouse teams to have their first few games at home in any given season - especially against creampuff teams. But Stanford had USC, as well as the regular guaranteed wins on the schedule, during September. What that means is that the season is only a quarter over, but half of the Cardinal's home games are done with. Another way to look at it is that six of the next nine games will be on the road. Stanford had a bye last weekend, which was a good chance to get everything in line. Their next game is on Saturday at Washington State.

9/17/14: Stanford suffered a big loss in Week 2 of the college football season when they were upset at home by USC. But the Cardinal's season is not over and the team is bouncing back. The loss pushed the Cardinal back to number 15 in the rankings. Stanford showed the armed forces very little respect by trouncing Army 35-0 at home. Kevin Hogan was efficient in completing 20 of 28 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Stanford has a bye this week, giving them a few extra days to prepare for the new look Washington Huskies on the road.

8/28/14: Is this the year that Stanford finally breaks through and wins the National Championship? They have been close several times in the past decade or so and have been to a number of top bowl games. The Cardinal is the definition of stability. They stick to the same tried and true smash mouth brand of football - both offensively and defensively - that has gotten them to the top of the mountain. The North division of the Pac-12 will again be daunting, but if Stanford can make it past Oregon, then they may be able to go undefeated in the conference and earn a way into the playoffs.

8/21/14: Perhaps the Cardinal can use this as motivation. Stanford is the defending Pac-12 champion and made it to the Rose Bowl last season. The foundation that Jim Harbaugh laid several years ago has been in good hands with current head coach David Shaw. But that is not getting much respect from the AP. In the first AP ballot, Florida State was ranked number 1 (not surprising) and Alabama was number 2. Stanford was not even in the top 10, falling all the way to number 11. Perhaps the team can use this to their advantage. After all, FSU was not in the top 10 a year ago either, and they did nothing except go undefeated and win the national championship.

8/14/14: This should be a great season in the Pac-12. While the SEC still has the overwhelming lead in terms of public perception of being the best (toughest) conference in the land - the Pac 12 is not far behind. Oregon and UCLA will be strong. USC is starting their comeback. And Stanford has been a top team for the last several years. That does not figure to change in 2014. One game that will get national attention is when the Cardinal visits Oregon on November 1. Oregon won last year's game 26-20 at the Farm, and Stanford has their eyes set on payback this year. The winner may well end up winning the Pac 12 and getting into the first top tier college football playoff.

8/7/14: The first coaches poll of the 2014 season came out last week. Predictably, reigning champion Florida State was ranked first and Alabama second. Cardinal fans may be disappointed to see Stanford shut out of the top ten and behind Pac-12 rivals Oregon (4) and UCLA (7). Stanford came in in the 11 seed, which was still ahead of USC (15), Arizona State (18) and Washington (25). Of course, a preseason poll really means nothing, and no polls are particularly important until the end of the season. And just for reference, FSU started last season ranked 12th.

7/31/14: Stanford will have some tough competition in the Pac-12 this coming season, as they try to defend their conference championship and get into the new college football playoff. The Oregon Beavers are always strong. UCLA could surprise a few people. And USC looks like they are reloading. The Cardinal may also be without their best receiver in Ty Montgomery for the start of the season as well. He is still recovering from surgeries on his arm and knee. He will probably miss the first game of the season against UC-Davis, and head coach David Shaw admits that "it will be close" for the USC game.

7/24/14: Stanford head coach David Shaw seemed to be former head coach Jim Harbaugh's hand picked successor. Often times, successors do not enjoy the same success as their predecessors, but Shaw has more than held his own as the head coach. At least Stanford feels that way. The school seems intent on keeping him and new federal tax records indicate that they about doubled his salary. Shaw was mentioned when Texas' head coaching job was open, but all indications are that he is happy in Palo Alto and not looking to leave a good situation any time soon.

7/17/14: You cannot blame a man for wanting to expand his career and take on new challenges, so it was understandable when Stanford's defensive coordinator left Palo Alto to take the head coaching job at another prestigious university playing in a major conference - that being Vanderbilt. Aside from getting the coach, Vandy has now gotten two of Stanford's players, tight end Davis Dudchock and wide receiver Chandler Dorrell. Both can play immediately as graduate transfers. Dorrell also happens to be the son of new Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell, so it makes sense that he would want to play for his father.

7/10/14: If there two things that hold true in college football it is that 1) schools/programs like to take jabs at their rivals, and 2) recruiting is a year-round process. The Cardinal has been pretty quiet about shots at rivals, as is custom under David Shaw (though not the case when Jim Harbaugh ran the show). But they did get a verbal commitment from four-star offensive lineman Nick Wilson. Even more impressive is that Wilson is from the great state of Georgia, right in the middle of SEC country. He also had offers from elite programs such as Auburn, Florida and Florida State.

7/3/14: Stanford had an outstanding recruiting class this year and the new freshmen are ready to get their college careers started. Some of the names for Cardinal fans to keep an eye on are offensive lineman Reilly Gibbons and defensive back Terrence Alexander. Stanford's rise from doormat to national power came under Jim Harbaugh and his successor, David Shaw, has done more than a fine job of keeping the machine moving. That is especially important as USC looks primed for a return to form and Oregon is a powerhouse every year. Stanford has the talent to win the Pac-12, now they just need to do it.

6/26/14: The Stanford Cardinal picked up another commit this week as Jake Bailey said he was heading to the Farm. OK, so this is not a stud QB or defensive end, Bailey is a place kicker. But that is incredibly important as well. Bailey can hit the 50 yard attempt and blast kickoffs into the endzone for a harmless touchback seemingly at will. In high school, he also played defensive back and receiver (though will not do that his senior season). This was not a drawn out process either. He performed well at Stanford's specialist camp, was quickly offered and accepted on the spot.

6/19/14: It is never too early to talk about recruiting in college football. Recruiting, of course, is the lifeblood of any program. There is a lot of discussion about moving national signing day or even getting rid of it altogether. That may happen, but not for next year. Stanford, like USC and many other top programs, is hotly pursuing five star cornerback Iman Marshall. The Cardinal and Trojan are considered the leaders for his services, and he is expected to start immediately for whatever program he chooses. There is still a good seven months or so until he signs with a college, but this will be one of the most interesting recruiting processes to watch.

6/12/14: Preseason honors are nice, but they really do not mean anything because not a single down has been played in college football, and will not be for another three months. Heck, Jameis Winston (FSU) won the Heisman Trophy last season, and a year ago was not the starting QB. That being said, early recognition is nice and four Stanford players won preseason honors. Senior WR Ty Montgomery was named All -Purpose Player of the Year and a first team All-America. Andrus Peat and Jordan Richards were Second-Team and A.J. Tarpley earned third team honors. This is more a recognition of past service, but nice nonetheless.

6/6/14: The Pac-12 is widely considered the second best conference in college football, but still way behind the SEC. That may all be changing in the near future, or at least the gap could be closing. Stanford has been a national powerhouse for the past decade and has earned the right to be in conversation of elite programs. That should stay the same this year. Helping them is a revamped USC and a continually strong Oregon program. Washington should not be discounted either. In any case, Stanford should be among a few Pac-12 teams that could end up in the top ten overall by next January.

5/29/14: Thanks to former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Cardinal is considered an elite team in college football. That means that they get a lot of media attention, which is generally good. It also means that they are a popular choice for games by up and coming programs. Their dance card is pretty full, but now Vanderbilt wants a shot at them. It makes sense though. Both are highly revered academic institutions and play in a big time conference The difference is that Vandy is just now growing into being a legit top 25 team while Stanford is established. At the same time, Vandy's new head coach is the former DC for the Cardinal, so perhaps they can work something out.

5/22/14: Stanford won the Pac-12 last season by beating someone from the South division in the Conference title game. Most people know that the majority of the talent is in the northern part of the conference (though USC may be on the verge of competing again). If the Cardinal makes it again, which is a vey likely scenario, they can stay close to home. The conference announced that the Pac-12 Championship Game is moving to the new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Seattle was a possibility, but the new stadium apparently was too good to pass up.

5/15/14: Stanford did not have another Andrew Luck going to the NFL this year, of course that kind of talent only comes around once in a blue moon. And while the program may have lacked some of the star power of recent past drafts, the Cardinal was fairly well represented in 2014. David Shaw and company continued their success at player development with several guys getting the call, including Trent Murphy (round 2, Washington), Cameron Fleming (round 4, New England), David Yankey (round 5, Minnesota), and Tyler Gaffney (round 6, Carolina). So even though there were no household names, Stanford still can develop NFL talent.

5/8/14: Head coaches in the college game often equate themselves to a father figure. So it goes to figure that they have a certain amount of emotional attachment to their players. That can be both good and bad, but mostly positive in seeing a kid grow up into a professional football player. Stanford head coach David Shaw will get to experience it live during the NFL draft. He will join Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) and Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) on the NFL draft broadcast, and offer analysis of drafted players. It is an interesting perspective, and a nice touch for the broadcast.

5/1/14: You can take Jim Harbaugh out of Stanford, but apparently you can't take Stanford out of Jim Harbaugh. The 49ers, like many teams, hold their own local pro day prior to the draft, which means they get to invite players who played or grew up locally. That is good for San Francisco, because Stanford is considered 'local', and they got to invite 14 former Stanford players. Those players do not count against the 30 players that the league allows teams to invite for visits - which gives the 49ers a huge advantage over other teams on evaluating talent.

4/24/14: No one may be talking about it yet, but Stanford has to be watching the outcome of the unionization vote by Northwestern University football players. Stanford, like NW, is a private school and their players could follow the Northwestern players' lead. Stanford head coach David Shaw claims that he is confused as to what is driving the players toward unionization. Shaw also says that he does not know of any unionization efforts at Stanford at this time. That being said, Stanford, like Notre Dame and Miami, could see something similar to Northwestern in the near future.

4/17/14: The Cardinal lost four of their five starting offensive linemen from last season's team, which won the Pac-12 and went to the Rose Bowl. So this spring practice time has been very important in determining who will be protecting the quarterback in the fall. But it has been a productive spring and head coach David Shaw has his starting five now. Still undetermined are several positions, including tailback, inside linebacker and free safety. The starting running back position battle is particularly interesting but no starter is expected to be named until training camp in the summer.

4/10/14: Stanford has the luxury of having an experienced QB this season, so they do not have to break in a new one. Kevin Hogan's grip on the job seems secure. He is not as dynamic or explosive of a player as, say, Jamies Winston or Johnny Manziel, but he is a proven winner and gets the job done. He has led the Cardinal to two straight Rose Bowl appearances, and that is a pretty good resume. Newcomer Keller Chryst should make some waves this fall and may be the heir apparent to the starter's position. Look for him to lock up the backup job and get some game time in early in the season.

4/3/14: The Cardinal head football coach, David Shaw, has done an excellent job of continuing the fine performance of his predecessor, Jim Harbaugh. Shaw had some interesting comments on a recent interview, including his preference for the late NFL draft this year (which is due to a scheduling conflict at Radio City Music Hall in New York City) as well as his coaching philosophy. Shaw claims that he does not coach motivation. He expects his players to be properly motivated without help from the coaching staff. Perhaps that is a reason that Stanford is continuously among the top programs in the country.

3/27/14: Former Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh deserves so much credit for his time at Stanford. Everyone knows that he brought the program back from the dead, got themselves into the National Championship discussion, and introduced QB Andrew Luck to the world. But it goes much deeper than that. Four years later, the Cardinal is still thriving. Stanford held their pro-day recently and it was attended by representatives from 29 of the NFL's 32 teams. Also, several former players (current NFL players) showed up to encourage their former teammates. That is the kind of support that money does not buy, and a big reason why Stanford will continue to be successful in the future.

3/20/14: The Cardinal, most likely, cannot play the underdog card much anymore. They have used that for several years now, but they are no longer David facing Goliath. They are Goliath. It goes back a few years when then-head coach Jim Harbaugh said they would beat mighty USC despite being 41 point underdogs. They won. They also have been to a few BCS Bowl games since then, including the Rose Bowl (as the Pac 12 Champion) just a couple months ago. Sure, USC looks revitalized and Oregon is very good, but Stanford is still the champ until further notice.

3/13/14: The Cardinal has had a busy offseason. There has been a considerable amount of turnover both in terms of players and the coaching staff. Every team loses players each year to graduation or declaring early for the NFL draft, transfers or even suspensions. Stanford is no different, including losing more than a dozen seniors and losing offensive guard David Yankey and safety Ed Reynolds to the NFL. They also lost their defensive coordinator and assistants to Vanderbilt when that job became available. Stanford also has its usual tough schedule, but the team seems undaunted by the challenge, and should be competitive again in 2014.

3/6/14: It is being reported that Cardinal wide receiver Kodi Whitfield will be moving to the defensive side of the ball to play free safety. Stanford has a glut of receivers, but needs help I their secondary. Head coach David Shaw approached Whitfield about the move, but has stressed that the decision was all on the player. By making the move, Whitfield will probably get more playing time than at WR. It also addresses an immediate need of the team. There will probably be some bumps on the way, but it is nice to see a player do whatever he can to play and help his team win.

2/27/14: 2014 is shaping up to be a challenging year for the Cardinal, but champions do not worry about such things. The coaching staff has undergone a good bit of turnover, especially with former defensive coordinator James Franklin heading to Vanderbilt to be their head coach and taking a few of his assistants with him. The schedule makers are not doing Stanford any favors either. Stanford is the two time defending champion of the Pac 12, and that means a tough schedule. The also lost a dozen seniors and a few underclassmen to the draft. They have 11 starting spots to be filled. But this is a strong program, and they will survive all the obstacles.

2/20/14: Stanford has done a remarkable job for most of the past decade in rebuilding a program that was the doormat of the Pac 12 (Pac 10 back then) and making them a national powerhouse. Former Cardinal head coach (and current 49ers HC) Jim Harbaugh deserves the credit for the turnaround, which was made public by a dramatic upset of USC several years ago when the Cardinal was a 41 point underdog. Stanford has stepped up their efforts this season by displaying their lovely weather to East Coast recruits who are buried and reburied in snow right now. Not a bad tactic, though FSU can claim that Florida is the only state without any snow today.

2/13/14: Stanford landed a pretty good recruiting class in 2014, which is to be expected of a team that has been in BCS bowl games for the past few years. The program has officially transferred seamlessly from former head coach Jim Harbaugh to current HC David Shaw, and has not missed a beat. In the middle of all of this, five star recruit defensive end Solomon Thomas had some fun in his decision. He pulled out a minature tree and donned 'nerd glasses' when he announced his decision to attend Stanford. It is nice to see a recruit having fun with the process, which may have gotten too serious in the last few years.

2/6/14: With national signing day upon us, the Cardinal is looking (like everyone else) to replenish their stock. Stanford will lose a lot to the NFL, including guard David Yankey and defensive end Trent Murphy. It looks like they will be able to re-up at defensive end with both Uriah Dillon and Harrison Phillips. Additionally, Boby Okereke is a top linebacker prospect and the team is likely to land running back Christian McCaffrey and QB Keller Chryst. Stanford can also lean on their NFL success, as former coach Jim Harbaugh has led the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl, while cornerback Richard Sherman is probably the best at his position in the NFL right now.

1/30/14: Stanford felt the poaching effects already this offseason a few times. First, Texas was said to be interested in head coach David Shaw. Shaw stayed (probably a smart decision considering the program he has and the pressures at Texas). Then defensive coordinator Derek Mason was hired as head coach at Vanderbilt after James Franklin left to take the same position at Penn State. The Cardinal stayed in-house to fill the open DC job. The school announced last week that outside linebackers coach Lance Anderson has been promoted to DC, while continuing to coach the linebackers. Anderson has been at Stanford for the past seven years.

1/23/14: When Texas was looking for a new head coach, many thought that Stanford head coach David Shaw would be a good match. Shaw was not interested in going anywhere and stayed at Stanford. However, his assistants have other ideas. Most notably, defensive coordinator Derek Mason took the head coaching job at Vanderbilt. It looks like a good move for Vandy. Mason has had success recruiting top tier players at a high academic school, and he has taken lesser recruits and made them quality players. Its hard to fault a guy for earning a promotion, so best of luck Derek Mason.

1/16/14: The Cardinal is still reeling from the Rose Bowl loss to Michigan State, which provided far more questions than answers. Head coach David Shaw stayed with the game plan - a drag 'em out, bare knuckle, throwback fight to see who was tougher. Sparty was on that day. Shaw has only lost seven times since taking over the program from Jim Harbaugh, but the criticisms are starting to mount. Mainly that he does not adjust well to the in-game situations. On the other hand, he has kept a mighty machine rolling in a place where it is tough to get top recruits because of the outstanding academics. Enough with the criticism, the Cardinal is much better than could have ever been expected.

1/9/14: Stanford completed their 2013 season with a disappointing loss in the Rose Bowl to Michigan State. The Cardinal was favored by many experts going into the game because it was believed they had the better offense. MSU pushed those thoughts aside and took control of the 100th edition of the game - cutely nicknamed Sparty vs. Smarty. Head coach David Shaw has steadfastly denied any interest in another job. It looks like he was telling the truth. He will not be going to Texas, as they hired Charlie Strong from Louisville, and he is not reported to be interviewing for any NFL job.

1/1/14: Stanford is a day away from playing in the Rose Bowl, the reward given to both the Big 10 and Pac 12 champions. They will face Michigan State in a matchup being referred to as Sparty vs. Smarty. All cute nicknames aside, this will be a tough, grind-it-out, old fashioned football game. Both teams feature strong defenses and potent rushing attacks. Do not expect a shoot out in this one. In other news, Stanford head coach David Shaw says publicly that he has no interest in other positions, which may leave Texas booster a bit mad.

12/26/13: Stanford has an interesting matchup in the Rose Bowl against the Michigan State Spartans. Both are old fashioned teams. They feature solid QB play, strong running games, and stout defenses. In other words, neither is a gimmicky or high octane offense that can put up 80 points a game. In other news, head coach David Shaw continues to shoot down speculation that he will leave for a high profile job. Stanford is a premier program and Shaw has expertly maintained the high level that former head coach Jim Harbaugh established. That is good news for the Cardinal, and bad news for Texas.

12/19/13: Sanford probably does not need the distraction, but it will probably be around for a while. With Mack Brown officially stepping down as head coach of the Texas Longhorns, there are some rumors that UT may have an interest in Cardinal head coach David Shaw. Shaw has done a remarkable job maintaining the program that Jim Harbaugh built up before bolting to the NFL. Sanford is preparing to play in the Rose Bowl on January 1st against the Michigan State Spartans. However, until Brown's successor is chosen for what some consider the best job in college football, there will be speculation about Coach Shaw.

12/12/12: The Stanford Cardinal apparently heeded the warnings about getting dehydrated in the desert air to defeat the Arizona State Sun Devils 38-14. Stanford was simply more powerful, and more prepared for this game, and finished up the regular season with a very impressive record: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in conference, and 6-0 against top 25 teams. Head coach David Shaw and company have done an excellent job of keeping the program that Jim Harbaugh resurrected rolling at a high level. Stanford earned the right to represent the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl, and will face Michigan State.

12/5/13: Number 8 Stanford had an interesting regular season finale in taking on #25 Notre Dame. The game did not have any bearing on the Pac-12 race - the Cardinal already has a place at the table against Arizona State this weekend. But it is a long standing rival and the winner gets the Legends Trophy. Notre Dame won this game last season en route to an appearance in the National Championship Game. Stanford came through this time, winning 27-20 at home. It was a challenging final tune-up for the match with AZ State, and the right to represent the conference in the Rose Bowl.

Stanford Cardinal Football Tickets - Overview

The Stanford Cardinal play Division I college football for Stanford University in the Pacific 12 (Pac 12) Conference. The Cardinal play their home games at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, CA. Stanford is coached by David Shaw, who became head coach for the 2011 season. Stanford's main rivals include conference foes California and USC along with NotreDame.

Stanford Cardinal Football Tickets - History

Stanford's football program began 1n 1892. The Cardinal have a winning record against every Pac-12 team except for the Washington Huskies. Stanford lone national title came in 1926. Stanford had one of its best seasons recently with a 12-1 record in 2010. The season ended with a 40-12 Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech. The Cardinal currently have three players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; John Elway, James Lofton and Ernie Nevers.

Stanford Cardinal Football Tickets - Stanford Stadium

The Cardinal have played their home games at Stanford stadium since 1921. The stadium's capacity rose to just over 85,000 in 1927. After the 2005 season, Stanford Stadium was demolished and rebuilt without the surrounding track. It now has a 50,000 seat capacity. Stanford Stadium has also hosted Super Bowl XIX, the 1994 men's FIFA World Cup and the 1999 Women's FIFA World Cup.

After a superb 2010 season, the Cardinal are looking to have a repeat performance in 2011. With Stanford Stadium only holding 50,000 people, Stanford Cardinal football tickets could be tough to get. Don't miss out on seeing the Cardinal because you were unable to find tickets a check out SeatGeek. The site forecasts ticket prices for all Stanford home games, so you'll know if prices for Stanford Cardinal football tickets** are going up or down, which will help save you money.

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November 05, 2013

Matchups: Oregon Ducks VS Stanford Cardinals

2013 Oregon - Stanford Tickets Oregon Ducks & Stanford Cardinal Rivalry Oregon at Stanford Preview No. 3 Oregon Ducks at No. 5 Stanford Cardinals (11/7/13) Marcus Mariota has been overshadowed since his first game as the Oregon Ducks quarterback. Credit is either given to running backs like De'Anthony Thomas, his former head coach, Chip Kelly,…